The Emperor's Disappointment (Seeking Collection)

"Donate a battleship?" Director Ludwig Birkenhagen was stunned.

That was a battleship! The cost of a single battleship ran into tens of millions of Marks. Even a prince of the realm, who received a fixed dividend from the royal estate's income, could never afford to fund the construction of one.

"Your Highness, are you joking?" Director Ludwig Birkenhagen's face was stern. A man of rigid principles, he believed Oscar was simply indulging in wild fantasies, writing a blank check to get his way. To the Germans, this was an extremely serious issue—especially given Oscar's status as a prince of the empire.

"Your Excellency, I am absolutely not joking. I know that with my current finances, building a battleship is utterly impossible. But I will use these four years to earn enough funds. I swear by God that I am completely sober, completely serious, and not boasting." Oscar's expression was grave.

Director Ludwig Birkenhagen fell silent. He had no idea where Oscar's confidence came from. Though his decades of life experience told him the odds of Oscar pulling this off were astronomically low, Oscar's certainty made him feel, against all reason, that a miracle might actually happen.

"Your Excellency, compared to a battleship, whether I study at the Naval Academy is hardly important. If I can keep my promise and deliver an extra battleship, that would be a great boon for the German Navy. Even if I fail, the Naval Academy loses nothing." Seeing that Director Birkenhagen was wavering, Oscar pressed on.

Director Ludwig Birkenhagen nodded. He considered the chance of Oscar fulfilling his promise extremely slim. But if a miracle did occur, it would be a massive gain for the German Navy. He, too, hoped for a miracle. And even if Oscar was just bluffing, it would only mean Oscar had thrown himself away—no harm to the academy.

"Very well, Your Highness, I accept your terms. But you must show me within two years that you have a realistic chance of keeping your promise. Otherwise, you will return to the Naval Academy and complete all your coursework in the remaining two years." Director Ludwig Birkenhagen said. That way, even if Oscar was bluffing, there would still be time to make amends.

"Agreed, Your Excellency." Oscar nodded. Getting Director Birkenhagen to agree and bend the rules for him was no small feat. Elation surged in Oscar's heart—he now had enough time to put his plan into action.

Afterward, Oscar and Karl took their leave of Director Ludwig Birkenhagen and departed the Naval Academy.

Standing by the office window, watching the two leave, Director Ludwig Birkenhagen murmured to himself: "What a strange prince. Is he a genius or a fool? If he really donates a battleship to the German Navy within four years, I will certainly be glad I made this decision today."

Still, he later reported everything via telegram to Wilhelm II, including his own handling of the matter, and asked for His Majesty's forgiveness for acting on his own authority.

Deep down, he hoped Oscar would keep his promise. After all, it would be a tremendous benefit to the German Navy—and to all of Germany.

"Your Highness, are you really going to donate a battleship to the Navy in four years?" Karl asked as soon as they left the academy. As Oscar's close confidant, he knew exactly how much money Oscar had. While Oscar's personal wealth was considerable, it was nowhere near enough to build a battleship. He also didn't think it wise for Oscar to blow his entire fortune just for four years of freedom.

"Don't worry, Karl, I know what I'm doing. Sure, I can't afford a battleship right now. But I believe it won't be long before I can. From now on, we need to work hard to make money. Otherwise, I don't want to break my word." Oscar didn't seem too stressed.

Still, if Oscar ultimately failed to keep his promise, he would certainly incur Director Ludwig Birkenhagen's deep displeasure—and possibly the Navy's enmity. After all, wasn't he just stringing them along?

As for Wilhelm II, he would probably be bitterly disappointed. In a fit of rage, he might even expel Oscar from the Hohenzollern family.

While Oscar and Karl were still on the train back to Potsdam, Wilhelm II had already received Director Ludwig Birkenhagen's telegram.

After reading it, Wilhelm II's brow was tightly furrowed. He personally detested people who talked big but couldn't work diligently. Without a doubt, Oscar had now been lumped into that category in Wilhelm II's mind.

"Hmph! Oskar is going too far. Does he really think he's a business genius and everyone else is a fool? If money were that easy to make, wouldn't the whole nation be in trade?" Wilhelm II said angrily.

"Your Majesty, perhaps the Prince just wants to give it a try. Director Birkenhagen's handling is quite sound—even if the Prince can't keep his promise, he'll have to return to the Naval Academy in two years. And if he succeeds, it will be a great boon for the Navy and the entire Empire," said Wilhelm II's steward, Essen von Jonerath, at his side.

Wilhelm II didn't look down on merchants. But he still wanted all his sons to serve in the military. It was as if only soldiers were true talents.

"Fine. Let's see what that little fellow can stir up in these few years. If the time comes and he can't keep his promise, then he will no longer bear the title of prince. He will be struck from the Hohenzollern family register and forfeit all entitlements." Wilhelm II's face was cold.

Clearly, Wilhelm II was deeply disappointed in Oscar. He believed Oscar had gone to all this trouble just to avoid the Naval Academy and indulge in pleasure. Such a person was unworthy to be a prince of the German Empire.